LeBron dishes on Durant, duress and Dwyane

In advance of LeBron James' hour-long interview Monday on NBA TV, the network released some of the comments from the discussion with former Heat guard Steve Smith.

On how Kevin Durant motivates him: ?The way he plays the game every single night is very inspiring, and it's motivating. . . . Obviously, we know he’s going to be one of the greatest scorers to ever play this game, but the way he plays, just so joyous and happy, and it's like he's a kid back in Maryland. And I feel like when I'm on the floor, I'm a kid back in Akron."

On a difficult stretch during his first season in Miami: "We were 9-8. . . . We were out of sync and me and D-Wade were looking at each other like, 'Did we make the right choice, man? Is this what we really wanted?' "

On being overlooked for the Defensive Player of the Year Award: "To be honest, I feel I've been snubbed two years in a row, and Im serious. And that's one selfish thing about me. . . . I feel like I should have won it."

On how the Heat turned the course in 2010-11: "D-Wade came to me and was like, 'Man, I think in order for us to be great you have to be The Guy. . . . In order for us to accomplish what we want to accomplish while we are playing together, you have to be the guy you were in Cleveland on this team' You want me to take the keys? He was like. 'Absolutely' . . . that's when I was like, 'This guy, that's special."

On leaving the 2011 NBA Finals loss behind in the Bahamas: "After the season, I took about two weeks where I didn’t leave my room. I told the story, I looked like Tom Hanks in Cast Away when I finally left the house . . . I looked terrible and D-Wade called me and we went to the Bahamas. I took that vacation and I left that [Finals] loss in the Bahamas."